The Matrix Resurrections, the fourth installment in The Matrix film series, is getting closer to its release date. The science fiction action film will be released by Warner Bros. Pictures theatrically on December 22, 2021.

The original Matrix trilogy was written and directed by The Wachowskis, which consists of two Wachowski sisters: Lana Wachowski and Lilly Wachowski.

Interestingly, the upcoming film is solely directed by Lana, with Lilly backing out from the project.

Lilly’s Non-inclusion in ‘The Matrix 4’

Speaking at Showtime’s TCA panel in August 2021, Lilly shared her sister Lana came up with the idea for The Matrix 4 while the former was still grieving for the loss of their parents.

"There was something about the idea of going backwards and being a part of something that I had done before that was expressly unappealing," Lilly stated.

She explained the loss of her mom and dad took her to an "emotionally unfulfilling" phase, which made her decide that she would no longer go back to doing something she had done before.

The film director also recalled painting with her mother when Lana got the call from Netflix to order another The Matrix film. And while Lana was eager to do something different with the film, Lilly's answer was, "I can’t do it. I don’t want to do it."

Lilly went on to reveal she hadn't spoken with her sister since The Matrix 4's filming was completed and doubted if she would collaborate with Lana again in the future.

Lately, she has been busy with other Cloud Atlas, Jupiter Ascending, Sense8, and Work in Progress.

Lana Wachowski's Directing Style

Even though the Wachowskis didn't come together for the project, Lana alone has been receiving praise from the cast and crew for her directing style in The Matrix: Resurrections.

During an interview with Variety, actor Neil Patrick Harris detailed the director's unconventional filmmaking approach to a major studio production.

"It didn’t feel large because it felt like she was in her sweet spot, which was filming on the fly, filming using natural light," he shared. "Sometimes you’d sit around for an hour waiting for the clouds to clear, and then you’d quickly film."

Similarly, stunt coordinator Chad Stahelski sat down with Collider to reveal that Lana was separating herself from typical Hollywood productions by directing all the action scenes herself and not relying on second unit directing teams. "What makes [Lana] so great is she directs her own action," he said.

'The Matrix Resurrections' Cast and Trailer

The film will see actors like Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Jada Pinkett Smith, Lambert Wilson, and Daniel Bernhardt reprising their roles from the original Matrix trilogy.

In addition, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Priyanka Chopra, Ellen Hollman, Jessica Henwick, Jonathan Groff, Toby Onwumere, Max Riemelt, and Andrew Caldwell have been cast in undisclosed roles. The film is co-written by Lana along with Aleksandar Hemon and David Mitchell.

The trailer for The Matrix Resurrections was released as part of Warner Bros' panel at CinemaCon, which showcased a meeting between Neo and Trinity. In the event, the production also revealing that the official title for The Matrix 4 is The Matrix Resurrections.

The plot for the film, however, hasn't been clarified yet, but Reeves, who plays Neo in the film, previously hinted that the film is a "love story" with various rumors of time-travel being a major part of the upcoming installment.